Welcome to our open, self-paced ESL study group. We can and hope to add networks to the group. This blog is the hub where you can find lessons, links to ESL learning resources, leave links to add to the network, post comment and questions. The study group project is experimental. Participate by sharing ideas and suggestions.

Bear in mind that no two individuals learn exactly the same way, at the same pace or in the same style, so use these articles to help you work out your own best ways to learn. Once you have that, you are set to become your own teacher.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Vocabulary is one of the elements of Evidence based ReadingInstruction, researched in the EFF Read With UnderstandingProject. A good vocabulary affects at least two of the otherelements: comprehension and fluency. What does research tellus about how you acquire vocabulary and what instructionmust do to help you develop the kind of vocabulary knowledgethat will contribute to your reading success?

However, vocabulary is more complex than this definitionsuggests. First, words come in two forms: oral and print.Oral vocabulary includes those words that we recognize anduse in listening and speaking. Print vocabulary includesthose words that we recognize and use in reading andwriting. Second, word knowledge also comes in two forms,receptive and productive. Receptive vocabulary includeswords that we recognize when we hear or see them. Productivevocabulary includes words that we use when we speak orwrite. Receptive vocabulary is typically larger thanproductive vocabulary, and may include many words to whichwe assign some meaning, even if we don't know their fulldefinitions and connotations, or ever use them ourselves aswe speak and write (Kamil & Hiebert, in press).

Saturday, March 17, 2007

There are many ouotstanding self-study sites online for grammar. All have interactive exercises for review, practice & immediate feedback. Many include power point for the benefit of visual learners.

Here are a few of my favorites - student tested - to get you started. Don't feel that you need to use all of them - look for the ones that best suit you and your personal learining style. Don't fret if you find them too difficult: they are also not beginner study resources. Try them again when you are further along.

I came across this page about "textmapping" while looking for intermediate and above grammar review sites for a native speaker who wanted to join EFI Beginner. Come to think of it, you might be interested in the grammar pages I sent him - will post separately. Anyway, "textmapping" is for teachers and parents who homeschool their children rather than for students. However, it looked interesting and is supposed to help with reading skills, so I am sharing it.

Let me know what you think. Is this something you would like to learn more about?

Monday, March 12, 2007

************************http://oxymoronlist.com/
************************
An oxymoron is a phrase that has words that seem to have opposite meanings. Studying oxymorons is a very interesting way to think about and learn vocabulary.
Here are some examples of oxymorons:
-a new classic
-catfish
-dry wine
-fresh frozen
-pretty ugly

At this site, you'll find a very long list of oxymorons that people have sent in to the editor. Some of them are serious oxymorons, and some are funny. Sometimes they are oxymorons because one of the words has a double meaning (pretty ugly).

YOUR TURN:
Make a list of 5 or 6 oxymorons from the list. Why are they oxymorons? What are the words that have opposite meanings? What are the opposite meanings? Are they really opposite or is there another xplanation (a double meaning, for example)? Are they serious or funny oxymorons?

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Hmm, I think this is my first time to post some article on this blog. Well, when you heard "Blog" at the first time,what did come up in your mind first ?

For me, I still memorise when my friend told me to make the"blog". I though it sound like "block or "Box". Hmm, why I had to make a box, what did he suppose to be?

After he explained me that the blog is a user-generated website where I can write some journal, save or upload photographs, videos or musics and share my blog to the world wide in the internet and exchange the experience. wow, I's cool .. I though :)

Actually,The term "blog" is derived from "web log". "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.(I couldn't find the meaning in my dictionary. Maybe it's too old :P)

The term blog is commonly acredited to the web-journal pioneer Travis Petler. He coined the term on his personal blog in early September of 1997 while studying at Brown University. His use of the word spread to other college campus' where other weblogs were present.Ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog. For more information and blog's history.

Ok now everyone might know about Blog, so the next question is what can we do with blog ? Everyone might guess that we can write everything whatever you like. Something is dealing with your experiences and you would like to share your idea to people in this cyber space.

In addition, blog can lead people who are interested in the same thing to meet each other. Eventhough, people come from the different zone country, religion and also language but what's surprise that they can exchange opinions same as we are doing right now ^^

Next time i will write a simply turtorial how to decorate blog, how to add any multimedia such as music, video a lot of thing can play with blog. There are a lot of fun can play with "Blog":)

Sunday, March 04, 2007

COMMENT ON FRIDAY CHECK IN

Hi,

I'm sorry if I wrote in a post because I include some links in my message and I want to make them operational since the possibility of hypertext is absent in the space reserved for comments . Also, I tried to use the HTML language, but in vain.

Anyway, during the last period, I discovered two wonderful blogs that I try everyday to read a post of them . The first one is my marrakesh .Teacher Vanessa, I'm sure that you will enjoy reading it.The second one is a food blog which has a French title " la tartine gourmande". The writer is a french and lived in US. I admire the entire blog: the writing style, the pictures, and the recipes.

On the other hand, I tried to put the SQ3R in practice with my children. They were so excited to test it, especially when I told them this strategy of reading is taught me by Vanessa!

At the end,instead of reading online newspapers, I watched political and economic news that what I'm intersting in on the TV.

Friday, March 02, 2007

I've been quiet on the blog because of computer problems at home. I have an ancient laptop I can check email on. That's about it. I can't run blogger on it. All but the simplest of web pages either won't load or crash the computer (as in "this computer has just performed an illegal operation" and both browser and mail close). I reinstalled operating system (xp) but now have problems getting my product key code accepted. I don't even want to think about what or how many files - lessons, research, images, rough drafts of novels, essays, and so on - have been lost. Normally I'd be cranky about paying to use a computer and get online but right now I am content just to be using a speedy computer not from the last century that doesn't require slow, complicated workarounds just to check and answer mail. So thank you UpHi net for your public access computers. I have until school lets out and the gamers roll in before anyone asks me to vacate the computer I am on.

So what's your excuse for being quiet? I should have logged on here and seen all manner of discussion. Does anyone else have comments on technical reading material? Lesson requests? More to say about reading and social change?

Speaking of reading and globalization, here's something to for you to read about globalization: another review, New York Review of Books reviews economist Stiglitz' book, Globalization and Its DiscontentsAnd on the grammar front - how are you doing with verbs and verb tenses? The best "verb source" I've come across is English Page, which also has a reading room. After all, reading every day is still the best way to improve your reading.

Speaking of reading, write us and tell us what you have been reading - in English - and what you recommend reading. What are your favorite online newspapers? A few of mine are AlterNet, The New York Times, and Salon. I've also been reading poetry and recommend Poetry International and Poetry Foundation. Some have commented on how hard poetry is to read, but reading poetry in another language is an excellent way to pick up the rhythms of and a feel for the spoken language. Besides, you can read poetry for children. That will give you the rythym of the language but with a simpler vocabulary.

Often they are more fun too. Here's one from by Brian Moses from the Poetry International site:

The Ssssnake Hotel

An Indian python will welcome youto the Ssssnake hotel.As he finds your keys he’ll maybe enquireif you’re feeling well.And he’ll say that he hopes you survive the night,that you sleep without screamingand don’t die of frightat the Ssssnake hotel.

There’s an anaconda that likes to wanderthe corridors at night,and a boa that will lower itself onto guestsas they search for the light.And if, by chance, you lie awakeand nearby something hisses,I warn you now, you’re about to be coveredwith tiny vipery kisses,at the Ssssnake hotel.

And should you hear a chorus of groanscoming from the room next door,and the python cracking someone’s bones,please don’t go out and explore.Just ignore all the screams and the strangled yellswhen you spend a weekendat the Ssssnake hotel.